 The originalBlackmoor supplement (TSR, Inc., 1975) | |
| Author | Dave Arneson |
|---|---|
| Genre | Role-playing game |
| Publisher | TSR, Inc. |
Publication date | 1975 |
| Pages | 60 |
Blackmoor is a supplementaryrulebook (product designation TSR 2004) of theoriginal edition of theDungeons & Dragonsfantasyrole-playing game written byDave Arneson (with a foreword byGary Gygax).
Blackmoor, the second supplement to the originalDungeons & Dragons rules, is known for its introduction of rules for underwater adventures and hit location, and the addition of themonk andassassincharacter classes.[1][2]
Dave Arneson named the booklet after his original role-playingcampaign world,Blackmoor.[3] It has additional rules, monsters, treasures, and the first role-playing gameadventure ever published,The Temple of the Frog.[1][4] Despite the name, the supplement includes almost no information on Arneson's version of the world.[5]: 100
Blackmoor added two newcharacter classes to the game:[6] the assassin, a sub-class of thethief; and the monk, a "monasticmartial arts" sub-class of thecleric, intended to be a hybrid of thefighter and thief classes. The Sage character was also introduced, but changed to a Non-Player Character type and moved to the back of the booklet by the editor.[7]
The book also introduced a section on diseases and a hit location system,[6] wherein each individual body part of a character or monster was assigned its ownhit points. The odds of hitting any specific body part changed depending on the character's height and weapon reach. If any individual body part was brought down to zero hit points, the creature would be crippled or killed.
The supplement introduced rules for underwater adventures, such as rules and guidelines for swimming, equipment weight restrictions when fighting underwater, and the effects of underwater combat on weapons and spells.Blackmoor also includes numerous new water-dwelling monsters and equipment useful for underwater adventures. A number of these underwater monsters and magic items were the creations ofSteve Marsh, added to the supplement in order to compensate for material by Arneson left out of the final edit.[8][9]
Following the release of the originalDungeons & Dragons rulebooks, Gary Gygax andDave Arneson decided to publish expansions of their respective campaigns. For Arneson, this expansion would be based on hisBlackmoor campaign, which had originated in the first quarter of 1971.[10] In March 1975, Gygax told a wargaming newsletter that Arneson was working on a final draft, and TSR began accepting preorders for the product and advertised it inThe Strategic Review. The booklet was delivered late, in part by having gone through two editors (Brian Blume andTim Kask) and being temporarily misplaced. The final edit was done hastily in a few weeks.[5]: 111 TheBlackmoor expansion was published byTSR, Inc. in 1975[11] as a sixty-page, digest-sized book.[1] It was the second supplement to theoriginalDungeons & Dragons boxed set and bears the designation "Supplement II," with Gygax'sGreyhawk preceding it in the same year.
The book features illustrations byDavid C. Sutherland III, Mike Bell, and Tracy Lesch. The supplement was edited byTim Kask,[12] who also did development on it.[13]
The Temple of the Frog was revised and expanded years later, and published as DA2Temple of the Frog.[1]
TheBlackmoor supplement was reproduced as a premium reprint on November 19, 2013, as part of a deluxe reprint of the original "White Box" which features new packaging in an oaken box. The reprint includes: Volume 1:Men & Magic, Volume 2:Monsters & Treasure, and Volume 3:Underworld & Wilderness Adventures plus four supplements: Supplement I:Greyhawk, Supplement II:Blackmoor, Supplement III:Eldritch Wizardry, and Supplement IV:Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes. Each booklet comes with new cover art but otherwise reproduces the original content faithfully, including original interior art.[14]